As the UK’s largest independent national statistical institute, the Office for National Statistics is responsible for collecting economic, population and social data at a national, regional and local level.
The work of ONS gives the general public access to key information, helping to hold Government and businesses alike to account. Data produced here can be used reliably to improve evidence-based decision making as well as aiding business efficiency. This includes directly tracking government and business activity, changes in national employment and earnings, monitoring gross domestic product, as well as demographic and migration trends.
Our Work
The key ambition of the Diegesis team at ONS is to “de-risk” the systems in which we work.
The key ambition of the Diegesis team at ONS is to “de-risk” the systems in which we work. By implementing strict coding standards, rigorous testing and a peer review system, our team has proved we can be trusted to deliver successful projects, across our current scope of work. The scheme of the work we do can be divided into two distinct categories.
- Collections: Business as Usual
We provide a managed support service for applications within ABF and OpenROAD on both AIX and Linux platforms. Many key economic and social surveys are launched from the applications we support. Our remit is to drive and maintain existing applications whilst troubleshooting issues that arise during day to day operation. Our team has established and maintained close stakeholder relationships, allowing us to work seamlessly with the business side of the operation to deliver maximum value. Technological expertise, combined with our sensitively managed service, has led to a healthy and productive relationship.
2. Platform Migration Project: AIX to Linux
Our team is also working on a large-scale migration project to modernise and upgrade the existing AIX operating system. Progressively moving database and application servers across to Linux involves a rigorous investigation and testing program, enabling day to day work at ONS to continue as normal. In moving to Linux, the team aspires to vastly improve the efficiency and reliability of the system. An Ingres version upgrade will also be carried out to align ONS with the most recent specifications.
We have been able to streamline and safeguard the existing Ingres data systems, whilst minimising disruption to the daily output of the organisation.
Outcome
The Diegesis team has established itself as an integral part of the wider organisation. We have been able to streamline and safeguard the existing Ingres data systems, whilst minimising disruption to the daily output of the organisation. The team has formed a healthy working relationship with ONS business staff, building trust that is required to deliver projects alongside the ONS team. The success of our work here outlines the productive blend of youthful energy and experience that our team possesses. We look forward to continuing to deliver for the Office for National Statistics.